Monday, August 1, 2011

Recruiting: Marist Women Keep Reloading

Here's another in the series looking at players joining MAAC programs.

Up now ...

MARIST WOMEN

- Natalie Gomez-Martinez, 5-6 guard, Andover (Mass.) H.S.

She averaged 14 points, 5 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game as a high school senior.

Gomez was a four-year starter at Andover. She was rated the 105th best player nationally and 26th among combo guards according to Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.

"Natalie is one of the top combo guards in the northeast," said Marist coach Brian Gioirgis. "She was heavily recruited by major and mid-major schools across the country. She is a player with great breakdown ability and a tremendous scorer, who sees the floor well and has tremendous confidence."

- Briana Holmes, 5-7 guard, Brookhaven H.S./Columbus, Ohio.

She averaged 8.9 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game as a senior.

Holmes was ranked 67th in the country among point guards according to the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.

"Briana is a pass-first point guard with tremendous defensive skills, as well as the ability to break down opposing defenses," said Giorgis. "She comes from Brookhaven High School, one of the best high school programs in the Columbus area, and that won the city championship last year. She is and will be a great leader both on and off the floor and I see her as a steal in the class of 2011."

- Kristina Danella, 6-1 forward, transfer from UMass.

Danella played two seasons at UMass before transferring to Marist after the 2009-10 season. She was at Marist, where she could practice with the team, this past season and has two remaining years of eligibility beginning this season. As a sophomore at UMass she averaged 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.

Tori Jarosz, 6-2 center, transfer from Vanderbilt.She only played in six games for a total of 15 minutes at Vanderbilt in the 2010-11 season, scoring one point but getting eight rebounds and four blocked shots. She was a highly sought-after recruit coming out of Lakeland H.S. in Putnam County, about 50 miles south of Poughkeepsie. Transfer rules allow her to practice, but not play, with Marist this season. She has three years of eligibility remaining, beginning in the 2012-13 season.

ANALYSIS: A group that helps ensure Marist stays in championship contention for the immediate future. Danella helps immediately, and her scoring ability will help particularly after the unexpected transfer defection of 6-4 forward Kate Oliver. Gomez-Martinez and Holmes provide immediate backcourt depth and, likely, two solid players in future years. And Jarosz, a true post player, has the potential to be an all-MAAC caliber performer once she becomes eligible.